


Pressure makes diamonds

by Maybe44



Category: Hudson & Rex (TV)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Developing Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, Spoilers for S02E03 'Blind Justice', Spoilers for S02E17 'The graveyard shift'
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28382871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maybe44/pseuds/Maybe44
Summary: A jaunty sunday morning turns into a nightmare for Charlie Hudson, Sarah Truong and German Shepherd Rex.
Relationships: Charlie Hudson/Sarah Truong
Comments: 46
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first multi-chapter fic with presumably 9 or 10 parts, set somewhere at the end of Season 2. The idea got stuck in my head for a while now, so I decided to simply go for it.  
> Hope you like it! :)

The sun was shining brightly over the Newfoundland coastline that early sunday morning. Nevertheless, not many people were en route at this early hour.

After having solved some particular challenging cases, Detective Charlie Hudson and Chief of Forensics Sarah Truong were finally granted a day off. So they were jogging next to each other in a leisurely pace while German Shepherd Rex was chasing butterflies, sometimes staying back a bit just to catch up with his two favourite humans again, sometimes running far ahead of them. The three of them enjoyed finally being able to savour the sunbeams on their faces and each others company in a non- working environment in particular. 

Sarah and Charlie had started going for a run together ever so often a while ago. Unfortunately, their case load had been heavy in the past weeks, so they hadn't been able to spend much time together outside their work lately.

As Rex danced back and forth, slowly but surely becoming bored with chasing the butterflies, Charlie pulled a ball out of his pocket. "Come on buddy, go get it!" He yelled and threw it as far as possible. The dog chased after the ball, barking happily. Sarah laughed and Charlie smiled contentedly. This was repeated ever so often, Rex never seeming to get tired of the game. Sarah watched the two of them frolicking in the grass with a fond smile. Charlie and Rex had found their way into her heart since the first day she met them, her affection growing with each day that passed. 

"Okay pal, one last time! Come on!" Charlie announced and threw the ball once more. The dog bounced after it and disappeared around the corner to where Charlie had parked his car roughly an hour before. 

Sarah threw Charlie a challenging glance and picked up her pace. "Last one to arrive at the car buys coffee!" she shouted over her shoulder, smiling. 

The detective laughed and jogged after her, accepting the challenge but not putting too much effort in it. Instead, he admired his friend's fit form. She had been athletic right from the beginning, but he had to acknowledge she had become at least as fit as he considered himself to be. So her winning the race was perfectly fine with him. He would have bought her breakfast anyway. 

Charlie loved having Sarah close, he loved spending time with her, whether at work or on his free time. He considered himself very lucky to have found such a good and true friend. But for some time now he secretly wished for more than just friendship. Nevertheless, he hadn't yet found the courage nor the right moment to confess his true feelings to her.

Sarah had just rounded the corner and disappeared out of Charlie's sight when suddenly three loud shots rang out in short row. The detective stopped dead in his tracks. He heard a yelp, followed by a agonized scream. After that - utter silence. 

The roaring sound of a motorcycle awakend Charlie from his rigidness and he ran as fast as he could, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Rex! Sarah!!"  
His left hand reached for the weapon on his belt, which, of course, he did not carry right now. He cursed profusely under his breath.

When he finally rounded the corner and took in the scene that presented itself to him, his heart sunk in despair.

Rex laid flat on the ground, Sarah was crouched next to him and there was blood. 

Lots of blood.


	2. Chapter 2

Charlie hurried over and sank on his knees right next to the two of them, unsure who to look for first, as blood seemed to be literally everywhere. Rex whimpered softly, his eyes half closed. Sarah looked at Charlie, tears shining in her eyes. Only now he noticed that she had taken off her scarf and pressed it firmly on Rex' stomach to stop the heavy bleeding.

"Oh no, buddy, no no no....It's going to be okay, pal, just hang on." Charlie pleaded, tears already welling up in his eyes as well. He softly stroked the dog's head, while Rex whimpered again.

Sarah continued to press firmly on the wound, her hands already covered in blood. "Charlie, we need to get Rex to the veterinary clinic as soon as possible! It looks really bad. He was hit by at least one of the bullets."

Charlie nodded and jumped up to open the backdoor of his car.

Together they succeeded to lift the big animal into the Dodge. Sarah climbed on the backseat right next to Rex and assumed her former position. "Hurry up, Charlie. He's losing way to much blood."

The detective did as he was told and stepped on the gas as soon as they had reached the paved road. Fortunately, it was still early and traffic was little at this hour. He kept checking on Sarah and Rex in the rearview mirror again and again. Sarah mostly concentrated on the furry patient in her lap, whispering soothing things to the whimpering dog, but sometimes their eyes would meet for a brief second. The worry and fear he saw there made Charlie's stomach roll again. 

After what felt like an eternity, but had in fact only been a short drive of a few minutes, the car came to a stop in front of the clinic. Charlie jumped out of the car and ran towards the door, shouting for help. In no time the vet and his assistant hurried outside. Together they carried Rex, who had stopped whining and moving altogether, inside. Gently they laid the dog on the steel table in the operating room. While the assistant busied herself with preparing several syringes of anesthetics, the vet turned to Charlie and Sarah who lingered by Rex' side. "We'll take it from here. Please wait outside." he strictly commanded.

Reluctantly, they both left. When the door closed behind them Charlie let out a cry of rage and kicked after the garbage can in the corner of the waiting area. 

Sarah flinched and put her arms around her body in an attempt to comfort herself. "Charlie...," she started in a low voice. "Please, we need to focus. Somebody shot Rex. We should call Joe. My team needs to check out the crimescene before all evidence is destroyed."

Charlie ran a hand over his face "Yeah, right. You're right. Thank you, Sarah." The detective threw her a strained smile and started to pull his mobile out of his pocket. "Have you seen something, anything, that could help with identifying the shooter?"

"Um, no, sorry. I was focused on Rex who stood staring at something, or someone, in the distance. When he growled and I realized something was off, the shots rang out and it felt like..." Sarah shook her head before she continued. "I saw Rex going down, then something threw me off balance and I stumbled to the ground as well..." She looked down at her side and suddenly began to tremble, as realization dawned on her.

Charlie in this very moment noticed the beads of sweat that stood on her forehead and how pale she had become. In a swift motion he reached for her, only to catch her in his arms right before she would fall to the ground.

For the second time that morning he desperately cried for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still no time to take a deep breath, I guess... ;)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for some fluff! :)

Only a few minutes later Sarah slowly regained consciousness. She found herself lying on a stretcher, paramedics buzzing around her. Confused, her eyes wandered around until her gaze landed on well known blue eyes, looking down at her with concern.

"Hi there." Charlie tenderly greeted her and gently tugged a strand of hair away from her face, letting his fingertips linger on her cheek for a moment. "Good to have you back."

Sarah slowly tried to sit up, grimacing in pain. 

"Whoa, easy. You suffered a nasty scratch on your hip. One of those damn bullets grazed you."

"Oh. OH. I didn't realize... Wow. Must have been the adrenaline."

Charlie nodded. Then the look on his face turned serious. "Sarah, I'm so, so sorry. I should have checked on you earlier." He shook his head in despair "I was just so focused on Rex with all that blood, so I didn't realize you had been hit as well."

"Shh." Sarah interrupted, feeling for his hand. "It's okay Charlie. No need to apologize. See, I didn't notice myself."

Slowly she adjusted her position, checking out the white bandage on her hip with a sigh. "Hope this won't leave a scar, though."

Charlie smiled a genuine smile. "You know what they say, scars make things interesting."

Sarah chuckled. "Whatever you say!" Then she turned serious again. "You heard anything about Rex?"

His blue eyes shimmered as he answered. "Not yet. He's still in there."

Sarah gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Rex is strong. He will make it!"

Grateful, Charlie returned the squeeze, when one of the paramedics showed up next to the pair.

"Miss Truong, we're taking you to the hospital. Just to be sure."

Sarah decidedly shook her head. "Thank you, I'm fine. Feeling much better already!"

The paramedic shrugged. "Well, that's on your own responsibility, Miss."

Charlie, who hadn't let go of Sarah's hand, looked at her sternly. "Sarah, don't you think you should be checked out thoroughly?"

"Nah. I'm fine, really. And I need to get my team on the scene as soon as possible." she answered decisively.

Charlie shook his head at his stubborn friend, but nonetheless helped her get off the stretcher. "You know, I'd feel much better to have you checked out properly at a hospital."

But Sarah waved it off with a reassuring smile and got on her phone to call her assistant Kelly.

While the paramedics prepared to leave, the veterinarian stuck his head through the door and signaled to Charlie. With a stern glance, the detective made sure that Sarah was securely on her own two feet and then hurried over to meet the doctor. 

Sarah had just ended her call when Charlie returned. The woman looked at him expectantly. "How is Rex?"

"The vet says he's going to be okay. They extracted the bullet, which had hit the liver. That's where all the blood came from."

Sarah nodded. "That makes sense. The liver is one of the organs strongest supplied with blood."

Charlie looked back at the door of the clinic. "Rex needs to stay here for a few more hours, though. I am scheduled to pick him up later that evening." The relief was clearly audible in the detective's voice. 

"That's great news, Charlie!" Sarah smiled fondly and suddenly Charlie felt the overwhelming urge to pull her into a hug. Careful not to touch her injury he lightly put his arms around her small frame. With a sigh Sarah relaxed into Charlie's embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist as well, burying her face on his chest and holding him tight.   
They held onto each other for a long silent moment, both of them savouring the comfort they provided to each other with this simple gesture. 

"Hi there. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Joe Donovan asked from behind them, a knowing smile on his face. "Just wanted to check out how you're all doing. Can't even grant you a single day off, as you are getting in trouble right away." he joked.

Sarah gently broke the embrace and stepped away, smiling up at Charlie fondly once more before she faced Donovan. "Hey Joe."

The detective returned the warm smile, then turned around to greet the Superintendent as well. "We're okay, thank you. Rex survived surgery just fine and is currently sleeping in the effect of the anesthetics. Any news on the shooter?"

"Nah. Sarah's team is currently on the scene, but unless the shooter left his business card, it's going to be hard to track him down. That's why I was thinking we should go public. We're talking about an murderous attack on three police officers, after all."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to start working on that case!

After Joe Donovan's announcement, Sarah had collected the bullet the veterinarian had removed from Rex' liver. She had insisted on accompanying Charlie to the precinct to examine the bullet herself instead of going home to get some rest.   
At first, Charlie had been hesitant about this. But the longer he thought about it, all the better he found the idea. He felt better knowing Sarah to be near him. He hadn't spoken his thought aloud, but until they knew who was behind the attack, there was still the possibilty not only Rex, but Sarah herself, had been the target.

In the bullpen, Jesse Mills sat in front of his various monitors. He jumped up when he saw his two friends and greeted them enthusiastically. "So good to see you folks! Can't leave the two of you alone for a second, can I?"

Charlie rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Sarah patted the young tech's shoulder. "You're right. Next time we go for a run on a sunday morning you definitely have to join us."

Jesse grimaced. "Uh, well, you know... Never mind."

Charlie indicated towards the flashing monitors. "Found anything yet?"

Jesse shook his head. "No surveillance cameras in that area. I'm going to enlargen the radius in search for the motorcycle you both heard, but, you know...."

"Well, in that case I'd better get to work fast. See you later!" Sarah announced and left for her lab.

Charlie looked after her, lost in thought, then turned to face Jesse who looked up to him with a broad grin.

The detective raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing..." the tech waved it off but couldn't keep the grin out of his face. He had long since come to the conclusion that his two favourite colleagues had fallen for each other. Hard. The second conclusion he had come to was that these idiots in love would be the last two to figure it out though.

Charlie ran his hand over his face in a frustrated gesture. "I feel awfully useless right now."

Joe Donovan strode into the bullpen hearing Charlie's last sentence. "Well, how about you get to work, then?"

"Yeah, right..." Charlie shrugged, feeling awfully at a loss. 

"I was thinking we should make a list with all of Rex' enemies to start with." Donovan suggested.

"Oh. That's gonna be a long list." Jesse scoffed.

Donovan looked at him sternly "So you better get started!" 

Meanwhile, Charlie paced the room, deep in thought. Then he turned abruptly and faced the two other men. "Mankiewicz."

Both considered this silently for a moment, then nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah, that doesn't seem far-fetched to me. Mankiewicz definitely has the means to pull off something like that." 

"Agreed. But why would he target Sarah as well?" Joe mused. 

"Unfortunate coincidence maybe? Some sort of collateral damage, as she happened to be there with Rex this morning?" Jesse suggested. 

Both looked expectantly at Charlie who shook his head slowly as an idea formed in his mind. "No. I think he wanted to take revenge and make me suffer. Of course Rex would be the obvious target. But, um..., well..." he stuttered, then blurted out "Mankiewicz might be convinced that Sarah... um... is my girlfriend." 

Both men's eyebrows shot up.

While Jesse chuckled highly amused, Joe asked sternly "And how excactly would Mankiewicz come to such a conclusion?"

"How should I know..." Charlie mumbled, then, after a short moment of silence, cleared his throat. "Okay, that night at the precinct a few weeks ago, when Mankiewicz held me hostage, Sarah called. Mankiewicz just assumed she was my girlfriend. I might not have denied that, which made her a target later on to lure me out of my hiding place."

"And why excactly did you not deny it?" Jesse asked with a smug grin.

"Since when do I have to discuss my private life with a criminal?" Charlie shot back.

Jesse nodded "Point taken."

"Fine. But unless forensics finds anything that ties Mankiewicz directly to the attack, keep your mind open for any other possibilities as well." Donovan reasoned.


	5. Chapter 5

About an hour later, Charlie presented a list with a few more names on it. Since Rex had convicted a lot of criminals, the list could have been even longer. But only a few amongst them could be considered capable of starting such an attack.

Donovan studied the list critically. "Okay. Jesse, see what you can find out about the whereabouts and the contacts of those people. Most of them should still be in jail, if i am not wrong."

"On it!"

"Well, I'm going to the lab in the meantime. Perhaps forensics has found something we can work with." Charlie announced. 

He found Sarah at her desk, bent over her microscope. Careful not to startle her, he gently knocked at the door frame.

"Charlie, hi!" The chief of forensics greeted him with a warm smile. 

"Hi Sarah." The detective returned the smile. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Any news on Rex?"

"Nah. Well, in that case no news is good news, I suppose."

"Right." Sarah hesitated for a second, then she pointed to her desk. "I've examined the bullet. It belongs to a 9mm handgun. I've run the characteristic scratch patterns of the bullet through the system, but there is no match, unfortunately. Seems the gun hadn't turned up in a crime before."

"That's too bad. I was hoping for something more..."

"Yeah, Sorry about that. Kelly is due to return from the crimescene anytime, perhaps you'll get lucky then. Do you happen to have any theories as to whom we owe that mess?" 

"In fact, I've got a few theories I've been working on I'd like to run by you."

"Anytime." Sarah smiled warmly.

"Great. How about a cup of coffee and a bite to eat? I still owe you breakfast." Charlie offered with a inviting smile. 

Sarah accepted gladly, just now realizing how hungry she was. 

While they were eating, they discussed the list Charlie had made. 

"Sounds conclusive to me. But I think you forgot someone." Sarah said.

"I did? Whom do you mean?"

"Well, what about Ex-Maritime Border Security Agency Officer Leah Purkis? Your ex-work-mistress?"

"Leah? I don't know..." The detective appeared sceptical.

"Charlie, I'm not suggesting this as your still jealous work-wife. I'm serious. Remember, Leah wanted to shoot Rex and you at the dock and hadn't excactly been happy to get arrested that night. And, well, my testimony at court sealed her fate and sent her to jail for a long time."

Charlie considered this silently for a long time, then nodded slowly. "You could be right, you know. I'll put her on the list and get Jesse to look into her contacts outside jail as well."

"Fine. I... um... I should probably head back to the lab. Kelly and the rest of the team should be back by now, hopefully with loads of new material for me to examine." Sarah stuttered, a shy smile shone on her face.

"Sarah?" Charlie called out after her.

"Hm?"

"Thanks for always checking my blind spots."

"Always. That's what a good work-wife does." she answered with an affectionate smile that made Charlie's heart beat faster.


	6. Chapter 6

While Sarah returned to the lab, Charlie drove to the veterinary clinic to finally pick up his dog. Rex greeted him by wagging his tail languidly. He moved slowly, staggering a bit in the process of getting up. A thick white bandage was slung tightly around his body. 

"Oh buddy, come here. So good to see ya." Charlie was so relieved to see his pal up on his four paws again. As he bent down to pet Rex, the dog licked his face, distributing all his love to his favourite human.  
"I missed you too, you know." Charlie laughed. 

Back at the precinct Rex appeared much livelier than before. He greeted Jesse and Joe happily and laid down on his place afterwards.

"I've just issued the press release on the attack. I've kept it vague, though. Didn't want to overshare." Donovan announced.

Charlie nodded. "Well, let's hope it leads to any hint that we can work with. Somebody must have seen that motorcycle taking off." 

Jesse, who had his eyes fixed on the monitor in front of him, suddenly shouted "Gotcha!"

Charlie and Joe strolled over to the tech expectantly.

Jesse turned in his seat to face the two men. "I was looking into Mankiewicz' calls in the last weeks. Most numbers keep popping up frequently. I managed to assign all the numbers - except one. Mankiewicz called a mobile phone three times in the last two weeks. Last time was this sunday morning, only a few minutes before the attack."

"Okay, so... do we know to whom this mobile phone belongs?"

Jesse shook his head. "Nah." Seeing their disappointed faces, he added "But we do know where it is at the moment." 

"Good job, Jesse! Why don't you go with Charlie to check it out. I have to be available for press inquiries." Donovan ordered before he strolled back to his office. 

While Jesse jumped up excitedly, Charlie stood motionless, looking at Rex, who had closed his eyes again and was snoring lightly.

"What am I to do with Rex in the meantime? Can't leave him alone, but I definitely can't take him along either." Charlie thought out loud.

"Why don't you ask Sarah? I'm sure she'll be happy to help you out."

And of course she was. When she entered the bullpen, Rex' ears shot up. He got up as fast as he could and staggered over to greet Sarah with a soft whine. "Hey Rex, glad you are back, buddy!" She laughed heartily, while Rex whined and licked her hand.

"Wow. I have not been greeted that enthusiastically." Jesse pouted. 

Charlie smiled fondly at the scene. "Rex knows excactly that Sarah saved his life this morning by keeping the bleeding under control the whole time, despite being hurt herself." 

Sarah smiled but waved it off modestly. "That's nothing compared to how often Rex has saved me in the past."

"Thanks for keeping an eye on him as long as we're gone. I feel really bad leaving him alone in that condition."

"No need to worry, Charlie. We will be perfectly fine, don't you think, Rex?" Sarah asked. 

The german shepherd barked approvingly. 

"I bet you will be." Charlie laughed. "Well then, see you later. We won't be long, I hope." 

"Right. Be safe." Sarah answered. 

While they left, Jesse nervously asked "Be safe? What does she mean by that? This isn't going to be dangerous, is it?"

The detective rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Nah, not dangerous at all. Just checking out where a presumed armed criminal is hiding."

Rex watched them leave, his head tilted to the side as if to say 'Hopefully the two of them can handle themselves'. Sarah chuckled lightly, then patted the dogs neck. "Come on Rex, we'll make ourselves comfortable at the lab."

It turned out Charlie's and Jesse's excursion was unsuccessful. They were able to locate the position of the phone with Jesse's equipment and were very surprised to find it at a nursing home. A few interviews later they finally knew the truth. The ominous mobile number simply belonged to Mankiewicz' old mother who had moved to the nursing home two weeks ago and had therefore gotten a mobile phone. As the good son he was, Mankiewicz now called his old mother regularly.

When they returned to the precinct, they were impatiently awaited by Joe Donovan. "Charlie! You've got a visitor who is eagerly anticipating you in Sarah's lab."

Charlie lifted his eyebrows. "Okay... Who is it? I wasn't expecting anyone."

Joe smiled. "See for yourself."


	7. Chapter 7

Hudson hurried to the lab and was surprised to see his Aunt Miranda sitting there with Sarah at her desk, both holding a cup of coffee in their hands. Rex, contrary to the usual habit of having to stay outside the lab, was settled on a cosy blanket right next to the desk. He didn't even bother to get up to greet Charlie. He simply wagged his tail and barked a welcoming woof. 

The detective stood dumbfounded.

"Charlie! Don't you stand there like that, come here and greet your old Aunt properly!" Miranda demanded.

"Um, sure, Aunt Miranda. What a nice surprise to see you here." he said while giving the old lady a hug. 

Sarah barely surpressed a laugh and busied herself with pouring another cup of coffee for Charlie. 

Miranda glared at her nephew. "Are you serious? I may be old, but I am not dumb. I've been hearing about the attack on two officers and a police dog on the News. They said the dog and one of the officers were injured. Well, I've added one and one together and here I am. Couldn't have phoned your old aunt to keep her calm, could you?" She said with a stern look. 

"So much for oversharing," Charlie mumbled. Aloud he tried to defend himself. "Yeah, it's been quite a day.", but Miranda cut him short.

"How do you think I felt when the officer on watch at the entry told me that 'Charlie Hudson is not to be spoken'?"

Sarah shot him a sympathetic glance. Charlie sighed "Aunt Miranda, I'm really, really sorry about that. You're right, I should have called you right away."

Miranda patted her nephew's hand.  
"You're forgiven. Sarah here" she patted Sarah's hand with her other one "told me everything I needed to know. She also told me that you investigate with high pressure. So I won't hold you back any longer." The old lady stood and pulled Sarah into a hug. "It was so nice meeting you again, Sarah. Bye, Rexy." 

Charlie got up as well. "I will accompany you out."

"That's sweet of you." Miranda followed her nephew through the bullpen towards the exit. "You know, Charlie, you should take better care of that girl."

"Aunt Miranda, as much as I wish I could have, I would not by any means have been able to avert those shots fired."

"Charlie Hudson, this is not what I meant and you know that very well."

"Huh?"

Aunt Miranda sighed. "You do remember I once told you about your one still being somewhere out there? Well, I don't think so anymore. I think, she is right there, right in front of you."

"Um.. okay. What makes you think that?"

"Don't you play dumb with me now, young man. I can see the way you look at her. There are literally hearts shining in your eyes. And Sarah? She's just the same. She is obviously in pain, she is bone-tired but still keeps going. She even agreed to take care of Rex additionally. You do know she would do anything for you, don't you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Loved Aunt Miranda in "Murder She Thought", S01E06 so I felt the need to bring her back. 😊


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some more fluff and a very slow burn... 😉

After Aunt Miranda had finally left, her words were still in Charlie's head. Was it true? Could it be Sarah actually felt the same way he did? And, even more important at this very moment, was she really suffering right now just because of him? He turned on his heel and hurried back to the lab. 

Sarah sat at her desk, her head resting in her hands. Rex stood next to her, his head resting on her lap. Charlie studied the pair for a while. Both, woman and dog, looked equally exhausted and worn-out. The detective sighed and entered the room.

"Hi there. I think it would be best we call it a night."

"Huh?" Sarah looked startled. "Charlie! Sorry, I've been in thought."

Charlie smiled warmly. "Come on, I'll give you a ride home."

"Oh, no no, I've still got an awful lot to do!"

"Sarah, there is no way I'm letting you pull an all-nighter today. So grab your coat and let's get out of here already." Charlie reasoned and held out his hand.

Sarah hesitated at first, but took his hand and stood up eventually. 

It was already getting dark when a few minutes later they were driving through the city. Neither of them spoke a word, both of them being too exhausted after the events of the day. 

When Charlie pulled up in front of Sarah's home and killed the engine, he found her with eyes closed and fast asleep. He admired the peaceful look on her face and took in her quiet, long breaths. For a second he considered just letting her sleep, since he wouldn't mind watching her sleep the whole night at all, but then he thought better of it. Falling asleep in a car seat made you feel awfully sore the moment you wake up. He knew this from his own experience after hours of surveillance. 

Gently he caressed her cheek with his index finger. "Hey there, sleeping beauty, we're home."

Sarah slowly opened her eyes and stifled a yawn, then took in her surroundings. "Wow, I've really fallen asleep on the drive. Sorry for not being good company."

Charlie chuckled. "Don't be. You know, even asleep you are dearer to me than anyone else." 

Sarah blushed. Her face shone with a tender smile when she leaned over and gently placed a lingering kiss on Charlie's cheek. "Thank you for driving me home. I'd invite you in for a drink, but I am so tired I think I'm going to crash right away."

"That's fine. We could all use a good night's sleep, I suppose." Charlie answered with a glance towards the backseat where Rex was snoring. "Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, though." 

Sarah smiled. "Me too. Good night, Charlie."

While he sat waiting in the car to make sure she got into the house safely, his aunts words voiced a few months earlier came to his mind. When it's the one, you just know. 

And he knew for sure.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning Charlie woke up to find Rex next to him in his bed, his furry head resting heavily on his chest. The sun was already shining, so they both got up and settled for a cup of coffee and, in Rex' case, a big bowl of dried dog food. Not excactly his favourite dish, but always better than leaving with an empty stomach.

At the precinct, Sarah, Jesse and Joe were impatiently waiting for them to arrive, since they had some news to share. Some tourists had seen the call in the media and remembered the motorcycle racing off at high speed the day before. They even remembered that the tank of the motorcycle and the driver's helmet showed some bright orange flames. Furthermore, Sarah's team had worked overtime and succeeded in assigning tire tracks they had secured on the scene the day before. Put together, this left only four registered motorcycles in the area. Jesse had already checked the names of the owners and found an interesting match. 

"Meet Scott Fenske, 32." Jesse Mills proudly indicated towards the big monitor on the wall. "He grew up in various homes as a foster child, until he found a permanent home at the age of twelve. The most interesting part, though, would be his step sibling."

All eyes were resting on the young tech, waiting impatiently for him to continue. 

"Leah Purkis."

All those present drew their breaths sharply. Rex barked angrily at the picture now showing the familiar red-head on the screen. 

"I know buddy, I know. Not happy seeing her either." Charlie said soothingly to the furious dog. 

"Wow. Didn't see that coming, to be honest." Donovan admitted.

Sarah stayed quiet and her face showed no sign of smugness despite she had been right all along. 

"So tell me you have found something to bring Leah in direct connection with the attack?" Superintendent Donovan asked hopefully. 

His hopes were dashed when Jesse answered "Nah. That's it. Well, Scott and Leah were pretty close earlier judging from their social media accounts, but he did not once visit her in jail. That's kind of suspicious, don't you think?" 

"It sure is." Charlie confirmed. "That leaves us with only one option. I'll have a little talk with her."

Joe nodded approvingly. "In the meantime I'll call the tactical response team to hunt down Scott."

Jesse peeked at Sarah, who still had not said a single word.

Charlie faced the pretty Chief of Forensics as well. "Sarah, could you take care of Rex for me once more while I'm going to visit jail?"

"Sure." She said, forced a smile and got up. "Good luck with that interview. Rex, come on." 

Confused Charlie watched Sarah and Rex retreat. Out of an impulse he ran after them and grabbed her arm lightly. "Sarah! Wait! Are you okay?"

Again, the woman was forcing a smile but tried to avoid eye-contact. "I'm fine, no need to worry."

Charlie stepped closer towards Sarah and took her hands in his. Softly he said "Talk to me. What is wrong?"

Sarah shook her head. "It's nothing. Just don't like the idea of you going to see Leah on your own. Somehow I feel like that's excactly what she wanted to achieve in the first place."

Charlie sighed deeply and made a decision in a split second. Seeing how much Sarah cared about him gave him a fuzzy warm feeling in his stomach. So he pulled her with him into a secluded and at that time vacant interrogation room. Rex followed closely and laid down in a corner of the room, his head on his paws, eyes wandering back and forth between the two humans.

When the door closed behind them, Charlie grabbed her hands again.   
"Sarah, I... um... This is neither the time nor the place i had imagined for that, but...um.. there's something I wanted to tell you for a long time now."

Sarah's face shone with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity as Charlie continued, his hands still holding hers.

"I've been looking for the right words for such a long time now, but nothing seems to be able to express what I feel for you. So, um, I'll just give it a try."

Sarah looked up to him with wide eyes.

"They say pressure makes diamonds much harder than stone and they only get finer as each day goes on. Sarah, we've been through some really bad times, but with you by my side I feel that even if the road may get rocky and life may get hard, the whole world together can't tear us apart. So if pressure makes diamonds, my love for you is a diamond by now."

After his confession, Charlie smiled coyly, not daring to make eye-contact.

Sarah, visibly moved, cleared her throat. Softly she said "Charlie, that... um... that was the most beautiful thing anyone ever said to me. And I do love you too, you know."

Charlie's face lit up with joy and he pulled Sarah closer. She eagerly slid into his embrace and welcomed the warm lips that sought hers for the very first time.

Having her soft tiny body pressed up against his, molding to fit against his muscles and her soft lips on his, so close her hair tickled his chin, his fingers itching to be tangled in it, he just wanted their kiss to never end. But way too soon they had to break away from each other, breathing hard. They looked deep into each other's eyes, finding tenderness, devotion and love there. 

Charlie cupped her face with his hands and placed another lingering kiss on her lips.

"As much as I wish we could continue this," he whispered and Sarah completed his sentence with a tender smile. "...this is neither the time nor the place for that." 

"Yeah." Charlie smiled back just as tenderly.

"Okay, so now you're going to see Leah?"

"Yeah. Might need a change of plans, though." Charlie answered with a wink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess I got a little carried away with that chapter. Charlie should probably have saved this little speech for his wedding vows some day, but whatever... 😉  
> I was inspired by two wonderful songs with the same title but with different lyrics which are  
> "Pressure makes diamonds" by Don Williams  
> and the wonderful  
> "Pressure makes diamonds" by Danny Vera, which I would like to recommend to you very much. 🙃


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to wrap up that case!

Two hours later, Charlie sat in one of the visitor rooms in the Newfoundland & Labrador Correctional Center for Women in Clarenville. 

Leah Purkis was handcuffed and flanked by two guards when she was brought into the room. A smug smile showed on her face when she laid eyes on Charlie. "Charlie Hudson! Now that's a surprise. So, to what do I owe this pleasure?" 

"Leah." The detective greeted her, his voice bare of emotion.

Leah sat down comfortably and examined Charlie from head to toe. "Oh dear, you look exhausted. Is this because of the shooting? Just heard the latest Update. I'm so, so, sorry for your loss." She continued with a mock smile. "Must be hard to mourn your best furry friend as well as the woman you love."

The detective's eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Charlie. Don't tell me you had nothing going on with Sarah before she tragically had to pass away from life?" 

"Wow, that was a lot less effort than I expected it to be." Charlie said and got up from his seat.

Leah looked at him bewildered. Her voice turned shrill when she asked "What do you mean? What's this about?"

Almost at the door, Charlie turned and smiled. "Oh, we just needed the confirmation that you were behind this attack. Didn't think you'd be so eager to share, but all the better, so i don't have to waste any more time here."

Leah leaned back in her seat and grinnend self-satisfied. "Nice try, Hudson. I didn't share anything. Just being up to date with the breaking News."

"See, Leah, that's the snag. Donovan never shared with the press who the victim of the shooting was. All they said on the News was that a police dog and a officer were shot at. So thank you very much for bluntly confirming that it was indeed you behind this by mentioning Sarah in the first place."

Leah's smile faltered but she waved it off. "Whatever. Might give me a few additional years here. But it was all worth it for this very moment. Knowing it was me won't bring Rex and Sarah back to you! You know, you ruined my career and my life. And now I've ruined yours."

"No, Leah, you are solely responsible for ruining your life. As for ruining my life, there must have been a misunderstanding. See for yourself." Charlie opened the door to reveal Rex and Sarah standing there alive and well. He pulled Sarah close and placed a soft kiss on her hair. The small gesture made Sarah smile, feeling herself fall for him more and more while she smiled up at him lovingly.

Rex barked triumphantly.

Leah turned pale. "Wait, what... but they said..." 

"Oh, that was Jesse's work. He set up a news feed exclusively for you this morning." Sarah explained. "We figured you'd be more willing to come clean about your involvement if you thought the attack had been successful in the end."

Leah's lips had turned into a thin line and she was silent now.

"Ah, before I forget, your step brother Scott was taken into custody this morning as well. Seems your little plan didn't work out at all." Charlie broke the latest information Donovan had shared on their drive to Clarenville to the fuming woman sitting in front of them. "Guess that means farewell for good this time."

Rex barked approvingly while the three of them turned to leave, Charlie's arm still slung around Sarah's shoulders, hers around his waist. 

~~~~~

The sun was shining brightly over the Newfoundland coastline that early sunday morning a week later. Charlie and Sarah walked side by side, holding hands. Sarah's injury had healed just fine by now. Rex trotted a few feet ahead of them. He had gotten rid of his bandage the day before but was still healing from his gunshot wound, so he was not allowed to jump and run as he used to. 

When they passed a street market where a stall sold flowers, Charlie stopped. "Let me get some flowers."

"Flowers? For me?" Sarah asked with a wink.

"Umm, actually..." Charlie stuttered.

"Just kidding." Sarah laughed. "Pick something nice for Aunt Miranda."

Charlie smiled back and nodded. "I will." 

While he was looking critically at the   
bouquets of flowers, Sarah bent down to cuddle Rex.  
With a quick glance Charlie made sure that Sarah was distracted by the dog. He decided on one of the colorful bouquets and a single red rose and paid for both. 

When he returned, Sarah took a look at the bouquet and smiled. "Those are pretty. Miranda will love them." 

"Mhm, but not as much as she will love spending time with us and Rex here." He approached her and presented her with the single red rose. She looked at him with wide eyes and accepted the rose with a radiant smile. "Charlie... that is... thank you!"

He swooped down and planted a chaste kiss on her lips.

She giggled and kissed him back happily. "What's the occassion?"

"Just because." He placed his hands on her hips and kissed her tenderly. "Just because I love you so much and I feel blessed to finally get to say this aloud as often as I wish." 

\- The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the very last part, the short epilogue, i was inspired by the wonderful promo pics for S03E01.
> 
> This was fun to write, and I hope you enjoyed the story! I appreciate every single comment. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me! 💕


End file.
